Imagine there’s a swallow, drawing nearer and nearer. Heat rolled up in the cycles of the moon. The smell of blood. Dreams at the tip of one’s tongue. And then imagine there’s a volcano erupting ruthlessly. There’s an illness eating us from the inside. A war that never ends. Trees reduced to metaphors. Women without a voice.
These images aren’t just imagined. Keith Borg and Leanne Ellul wrote their respective poetry cycles with these themes at their core, and more. Although both works are independent of each other, what links both works isn’t just the publisher or a number in the title; it’s a shared sense of destruction, particularly the destruction of lives, bodies, and especially, of women.
Leanne Ellul’s sitt ġrajjiet u naqra għala spiċċajna (kif spiċċajna) is a theatrical script written in poetic form, originally staged in 2022 by ŻiguŻajg and ŻfinMalta. Written in an engaging rhythm, it is set in a future time and place, where the characters Leslie and Ashley exchange fragments of experiences and memories that touch on urgent issues affecting today’s youth: war, environmental collapse, illness, self-harm, women’s rights, poverty, and hunger. The text acts as both protest and hope; a cry for a better society. Though the work was originally intended for mature young adults, it resonates deeply with adult readers as well.
Leanne Ellul is a poet and prose writer whose work spans both adult and children’s literature. She was named Best Emerging Author in the 2016 Malta National Book Prize, and the same year she was listed in the Commonwealth Young Achievers Book. Her poetry collections include L-Inventarju tal-Kamra l-Kaħla (2020), Bjudà (2022), and Il-Manifest tas-Siġar (2022). Her poems have been published in adda, Asymptote, Modern Poetry in Translation, Columbia Journal, and Circumference, and translated into Arabic, Croatian, Frisian, Italian, Greek, and Slovenian. She is also the author of two award-winning young adult novels, Gramma (2015) and be;n il-kmiem (2025). Leanne lectures in Maltese literature and creative writing, and is actively involved in NGOs like Inizjamed and the HELA Foundation.
Similarly, Keith Borg is a powerful and active voice in Malta’s literary scene. His latest work, meta nsir disgħa, is a poetry collection inspired by the nine muses of Greek mythology, written in response to a 2023 reading event by nine Maltese female poets. The collection speaks to, and about, women with a voice that is reflective, empathetic, and inspiring.
Keith Borg has a strong background in performance, theatre, and scriptwriting. He published his debut poetry collection, hemm qarsa fil‑vers, in 2017. His poems have been translated into Greek and Slovenian. His second major work, Il‑Parabboli tal‑Imġienen, is a collection of surreal, unsettling short stories blending horror, allegory, and philosophical reflection. It was shortlisted for Malta’s National Book Prize in 2022. Keith is also actively involved with the literary NGO Inizjamed.
Both of these works are part of a new digital series from Merlin Publishers entitled e•spresso. Each short eBook is designed to be read in the time it takes to enjoy a cup of coffee (or two). Offered exclusively in digital format and affordably priced, this innovative series brings Maltese literature closer to the everyday lives of readers, fitting seamlessly into fast-paced routines without sacrificing depth or artistry.
With e•spresso, Merlin is embracing a new chapter in Maltese publishing, creating space for contemporary voices in a format that is both accessible and relevant. All e•spresso titles are available through the free Glassboxx app, which provides the features modern readers expect: customizable fonts, background colours, bookmarks, and more.
Some might say numbers are just numbers. These two eBooks go to show that numbers are much more than just that. In just a few pages, Leanne Ellul’s work goes beyond the six short scenarios she presents, and Keith Borg’s work goes far in delving deep into sensitive topics through nine muses. Sometimes numbers speak just as loudly.
